Creative, artistically drawn story that is also deeply flawed. The hook is amazing: first-person narrator is a silverback who’s the main attraction at the top of a mall)… but the pacing of the book is definitely a bit off. The beginning (though interesting) is far too drawn out, not sure what the middle really is, and the end feels both too rushed and also somehow, not necessarily drawn out enough. The characters are interesting and the story is definitely a moving one. Parts of the writing are wonderful… but again, the story as a whole is weighted down by its flaws, keeping it from being a truly 5-star read.

We’ve gone through some changes here at booknosh, and will be changing a few things moving forward.

Moving forward, we’re only going to have one regular poster, Aidyra, though some of our other past reviewers will probably still post occasional guest posts!

As such, we’re going to change our schedule and focus a little:

1. We’re going to aim for one review or some kind of positing once a week.

2. We’re going to gear more and more toward lists, as they’re more fun essays, and an interview now and again.

3. We are also, officially accepting requests from new authors again. However, our genres are very limited: literary fiction (self-published or through a traditional house), historical romance, children’s, middle grade and young adult. Read our updated about section for more details.

Cut to the Chase:
This is a quick read with a convoluted story. The protagonist, Kimberly, has just graduated from college and is off to New York City to work in the fashion industry. In many ways, this is a coming of age story, as Kimberly navigates the big city and adult issues such as sex (and the results thereof), living alone, major career choices, and dealing with people who may be considered insane. However, the twists and turns of the plot keep the reader busy trying to navigate the implausible sequence of events. You may be interested in this book if you want something quick to read that explores a version of life that does not seem to be quite possible. Perhaps it is meant to be a book that helps us escape from reality, but if so, I’d rather stay in reality.

Cut to the Chase:
Ameringer is primarily a non-fiction writer, and he should probably stick to non-fiction. This book reads like a spy dossier, technically detailing events, introducing names with no exposition or character development, and simply documenting a series of missions. The protagonist, Tom Miller, is a CIA agent specializing in Central America during the Cold War era. I was excited to learn more about Latin American modern history through a spy thriller, but instead I was overwhelmed with names and places with no background or context. If you know a lot about Latin American history already, this book may be interesting, spanning several decades and many historical events (including the Bay of Pigs, the Iran-Contra affair and Soviet spies in America during the Cold War). There is no compelling overarching story, merely a review of a spy’s career, interspersed with hints of a personal life that leave the reader wanting to take a nap.